False Authority

       The fallacy of ethos, false authority, is observed when an author has no authority or credibility in what they are saying, yet he or she attempts to come across as having authority. False authority is persistently used in the media and advertisements of today's time. We see famous performers endorsing products that have no relation to their occupations and field of knowledge. This is certainly not by accident. We live in a time where famous people are glorified to such an extent that people literally desire to be them. Therefore, such a fallacy is found to be very effective when used to sell products. If you have the chemists who created the newest skin cream explain why the product is effective in a commercial, chances are, you would lose the attention of your intended audience. However, if you have Carrie Underwood using the product with a few smiles and hair flips, people will undoubtedly consider the product. It does not matter that Carrie most likely knows nothing behind the formulation of the product, it just matters that she is beautiful and is using the product. 

      In order to effectively identify this fallacy, it is key for me to persistently ask myself the question, "can I trust this person?," whether it is in media or writing. The answer to this question will obviously not just come to me unless I already know the author background. This will require some research. It will be important to find out if the author has any experience related to the topic being addresed. Some individuals have a way with words and can convince anyone of anything, but if I educate myself about the author, his ability to convince will either increase or decrease. The same goes for advertisements in media. Ask myself something similar to, "Is she a chemist? Or a very attractive singer?." 

      I recently viewed an icy hot commercial in which Shaquille O'neal was the endorser. Many athletes, especially basketball players, look up to Shaquille as a legend. Seeing him use icy hot likely caught the attention of these athletes, and persuaded them to consider the product. I'm not certain, but I'm pretty sure Shaquille's smile doesn't explain why or how icy hot works. This commercial left me unpersuaded; however, I'm convinced this is not the case for all. There have been times that my attention has been drawn to certain products because of the popularity of the people promoting them; therefore, false authority is a very effective fallacy. Hence, the frequent use of it in our society.